Provincial Boundary Proposals Move North Shuswap to Kamloops Riding

By Jo Anne Malpass

A preliminary report from the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission with recommendations for changing British Columbia’s provincial electoral districts for the next two provincial general elections, includes a Salmon Arm Shuswap Riding and a Kamloops North Shuswap riding.

The proposal keeps Enderby, Armstrong, Salmon Arm, South Shuswap and Sicamous in the Shuswap riding and moves the North Shuswap to Kamloops-North Shuswap riding, which includes suburban Kamloops and rural areas extending into the Shuswap, North and South Thompson regions.

British Columbians can provide input to the Commission by completing a survey on the Commission website, https://bcebc.ca or by writing to the Commission directly by email or post. All public input must be received by 11:59 pm on Nov. 22, 2022.

The recommendations to the Legislative Assembly include the creation of six additional electoral districts, bringing the total number of seats to 93 from the current 87. The Commission proposes adding these electoral districts in areas of rapid population growth, specifically Langford, Burnaby, Langley, Surrey, Vancouver and Kelowna, says a Commission press release.

The Commission also recommends adjustments to the boundaries of 71 electoral districts based on the geographic, demographic, communication and transportation considerations set out the in Electoral Boundaries Commission Act.

“Before we began our deliberations, we travelled throughout the province, meeting as many people as we could, seeking input on electoral boundaries. We held 50 public meetings in 43 communities and received over 1,300 submissions,” said Justice Nitya Iyer, Chair of the Commission. Our recommendations are the result of the considerations in the Act, the data we collected and the diverse perspectives of British Columbians.”

The Commission’s full recommendations are included in the Preliminary Report, which can be found on the Commission website. The Commission has made the executive summary of the report available in 10 languages on its website and has mailed a copy of the Preliminary Report to each of the province’s public libraries.

The Commission will now begin a final round of public consultations. The Commission encourages British Columbians to read its recommendations and share their views. The Commission will consider amending its recommendations in light of the input it receives. Its final report must be released by April 3, 2023.

The Legislative Assembly will then decide whether to accept all, some or none of the Commission’s recommendations.

To read the preliminary report, view the schedule of upcoming public hearings, or provide input on the Commission’s recommendations, visit the Commission website, https://bcebc.ca